Long story short. Me mum died. I'm left with her Ipad. Before death she managed to forget password and locked out of account. Ipad has been reset. But I think I can log in with her iCloud user name and what I think is her password. But I then have to answer security questions. I have no idea what her security answers are and her email goes to her Ipad which i cant get into. I've hunted on Apple website but doesn't look like t a real person exists. I cant use Chat cause I cant log in.

It'll still be iCloud locked which is the problem. Basically this turns the iPad into a brick unless if you can convince Apple to unlock it or login with the existing account. A DFU reset doesn't get past this.

If you have the Apple ID and password then the activation lock won't be an issue as you should be able to just get into the iPad without the need for security questions. If you don't know the password but have the Apple ID and access to the email address that was used with the account then you should be able to reset the password using the email address and, again, your problems will be solved.

Failing all this I guess you could try calling AppleCare and see if they can do anything for you.

If Find My iPad was turned on it may well be activation locked and require you to sign in using her iCloud account; but you should be able to reset that with access to the email; although I had an instance of that recently that made us wait two weeks before it would let us have a go at resetting it.

Failing that you would have to send Apple proof of ownership (i.e. a receipt with a serial number and your name on it)

I've never run into that issue before, DFU restore to factory and set up as a new device instead of from backup gets me a fresh device. Been a while since I've given it a go though...?

That hasn't been the case since about iOS5 I think. Whenever an Apple device, be it iPhone, iPad, Mac, is reset. It will phone home and check if there is an iCloud lock (iCloud wasn't logged out before the device was reset). If so, you need to put in the credentials of the last used iCloud account before you get any further.

IIRC if you have proof of purchase, there is a way to do this via apple, but that is about the only way. Call their support line.

It'll still be iCloud locked which is the problem. Basically this turns the iPad into a brick unless if you can convince Apple to unlock it or login with the existing account. A DFU reset doesn't get past this.

After I went into DFU a couple of times (sleep mode on my computer broke the process) my option was to restore and update. So this is what i did. This is as far as I got as it wanted to set me up with the current account. Tis is the problem - I'm locked out of the account. So teh DFU didn't get me past this

If Find My iPad was turned on it may well be activation locked and require you to sign in using her iCloud account; but you should be able to reset that with access to the email; although I had an instance of that recently that made us wait two weeks before it would let us have a go at resetting it.

Failing that you would have to send Apple proof of ownership (i.e. a receipt with a serial number and your name on it)

I Think I know the serial number - it seems to come up with the restore function. But there is no proof of purchase. I went through all mums stuff and there was no receipt - presumably binned after a couple of years.

The email that was set up is also weird an no use as its starts with an "I"......X......co.nz. I presume the x will be for xtra. But the "I" has no significance what so ever. Maybe its the address of whoever set it up in the first place - mum wouldn't have been able to do that. Anyway - the only email was on the IPad.

Theres a life lesson in there. As parents age make sure you get all Passwords off them (including computers, banks and web site accounts) and if they start to go nutty keep them away from the internet where they can sign up to things with their visa - that's a story for another day!

Theres a life lesson in there. As parents age make sure you get all Passwords off them (including computers, banks and web site accounts) and if they start to go nutty keep them away from the internet where they can sign up to things with their visa - that's a story for another day!

Unless of course they want their personal devices to die with them. Sometimes personal means personal.

But yeah, it feels like we all need to put more consideration in to things like this, almost to the same level in which we consider Wills. How you want your digital life handled after you pass needs to be considered and things put in place beforehand.

If you have the Apple ID and password then the activation lock won't be an issue as you should be able to just get into the iPad without the need for security questions. If you don't know the password but have the Apple ID and access to the email address that was used with the account then you should be able to reset the password using the email address and, again, your problems will be solved.

Failing all this I guess you could try calling AppleCare and see if they can do anything for you.

Every thing failed - except the obvious one.

Called AppleCare and they have been very helpful. Its a process that is going to take a while. I had to provide a copy of death certificate and Probate. That went off to Apple somewhere. Then I had to provide an email address not already linked to an Apple account. That done Apple will now assign device to me - may take 4 weeks more

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